Last week, FBI director James Comey hinted at how much the agency paid to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone, saying it cost more than he will make in the next seven years and four months. The number worked out to around $1.3 million, as Comey's annual salary is $183,000. However, sources now tell Reuters that the amount was actually under $1 million.
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Although the FBI says it will keep the technique it used to unlock Farook's iPhone 5c a secret, sources tell Reuters that the agency can use the method on other iPhone 5c's running iOS 9. The FBI has physical possession of the mechanism used to unlock the phone and does not need to pay the contractor any more money for further uses.
The contractor responsible for the method is a closely-held secret within the FBI, with Comey being in the dark himself, according to Reuters' sources. In mid-April, it was reported that the FBI hired "professional hackers," at least one of which is a gray hat researcher that sells flaws to governments, black market groups or surveillance companies.
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Top Rated Comments
(View all)How could anybody keep caring about this?
On the contrary, how could nobody realised that they (taxpayers) are sponsoring the FBI to do this whole thing in the first place?The number worked out to around $1.3 million, as Comey's annual salary ('https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/') is $183,000. However, sources now tell ('http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-idUSKCN0XQ032') Reuters that the amount was actually under $1 million.
Maybe they cut his salary to make the numbers work out.